How to Disable Quick Find in Firefox

Firefox's Quick Find feature can sometimes be annoying. Quick Find's search bar would unexpectedly appear above the status bar at times when I start to type. It is designed not to activate when a computer user is typing in a text box or search box. However, there was one situation when Quick Find kept on appearing when I practiced typing online. The cursor was inside the typing "practice box" and texts were written (or typed) in Quick Find’s search box instead of in the "practice box." I had to disable this Firefox feature forever. The following are two methods readers may find helpful on how to disable Quick Find in Firefox:

1. Through the Options dialog box,
2. Or changing the about:config settings.

Method 1: The easy way
How to disable in Firefox 3 browser:

1. In the menu toolbar, click Tools,
   
2. Next, click Options, the Options Dialog box opens,
   
3. Click the Advance Tab when it is not currently shown,
   
4. Click the General Tab when it is not currently shown,
5. Then uncheck the "Search for text when I start typing" box,
   
6. Finally, click OK

Method 2: For the adventurous
This method involves tweaking or modifying user preferences in the about:config settings. Backup the about:config files in Firefox before carrying out the steps below. The following is the process on how to disable Quick Find:

1. Open a new tab or window in Firefox 3,
2. Type "about:config" (without the quotes) in the address bar. A page opens displaying "This might void your warranty!"
   
3. Click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button. A new page opens showing user preferences with values that can be modified. DO NOT EXPERIMENT CLICKING ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS!
   
4. Under Preference Name, look for the entry accessibility.typeaheadfind.
5. Double-click accessibility.typeaheadfind to set the value to "false."
6. Close the about:config tab or window.

Another way of finding the accessibility.typeaheadfind name is to type the name in the Filter box—do not press Enter.

A short note
Disabling Quick Find through Method 1 automatically sets the accessibility.typeaheadfind value to "false" in the about:config settings and vice versa, so there is no need to do both methods. Method 1 is the safest way to disable Quick Find. In addition:

1. Quick Find can be enabled in its disabled state by pressing the slash (/) key in the keyboard.
2. To search for the next instance, press the F3 key.
3. The Quick Find bar will not show up if the cursor is in a text or search box. In this case, press the Tab key to tab out or click on any blank area in the page.
   

Read also: How to Disable Firefox Quick Find and How to Disable Firefox Quick Find Completely